Investigation leads to drug arrest, ICE referrals

Updated 12:02 am, Saturday, August 31, 2013

DANBURY -- A local man was arrested on charges of selling illegal drugs from his home and workplace and was referred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Julio Reyes-Rosario was arrested Thursday at about 7:20 p.m. by Danbury police after he was stopped in his car in the Deer Hill Avenue area at about 7:20 p.m. Thursday. A passenger in the car, Benancio Marte-Peralta, also was taken into custody for immigration violations and an outstanding domestic violence warrant.

The police investigation pointed to Reyes-Rosario selling illegal drugs throughout the Danbury area, police said. Police stopped him in his car after receiving search and seizure warrants from Superior Court in Danbury.

Searches found Reyes-Rosario in possession of a "substantial" quantity of cocaine, police said. The search of his residence also resulted in the seizure of drug packaging material, drug paraphernalia and a substantial amount of U.S. currency, according to police.

Reyes-Rosario was charged with possession of narcotic substance, possession with intent to sell, possession with intent to sell within 1,500 feet of a school, possession of narcotic substance within 1,500 feet of a school, and possession of drug paraphernalia. His bond was set at $100,000.

Marte-Peralta was charged with assault in the third degree. His bond was set at $500.

According to ICE records, Peralta had returned to the United States after being deported in 2007, police said.

During processing at police headquarters, it was determined that Reyes-Rosario was also in the U.S. illegally, as there was no record of him entering from the Dominican Republic. Based on the immigration status of Reyes-Rosario and Marte-Peralta, ICE placed immigration detainers on both men.